Palm nuts at an early stage of decomposition that are constantly being condemned, yet soup prepared from the nuts is consumed
Maito, maito kai: It’s time to tell Tales of the Animal World.
Yasi nanu: A mentally stressed Mosongi Inoni complaining to his friend Ikula Nyame said:
“Mwai Ikulu koko:
Wolinyama, including my sisters are not worth dying for. They are very ungrateful.
I have pulled several of them out of Nyongo labour camps and destroyed the ropes that were used in tying them.
I have offered many of them free services from my sorcery. But I have never received a word of thanks from any of them. Instead they gossip me and complain that I do not give them enough assistance. Henceforth I will not commence treatment until a patient pays my fee.
I will no longer offer free services from my sorcery, not even to my sisters”.
Responding, Ikule said:
“Mwai Mosongo don't venture to carry out your threat lest you should face the consequences of being abandoned by your sisters and wives. You will live in isolation and die without being survived by at least one widow to wail at the funeral house.
That would be a calamity as well as a disgrace.
(“osi-keka,
osi-ja lisa-mbowa, si, uvise a kpweli yango”.
“Mwai ! Take note. Eminent persons like you and heads of families/groups/societies are like palm nuts at an early stage of decomposition ("wove wo mbiya"). “The nuts (wove wo mbiya) suffers the fate of being constantly condemned but they are consumed. I will tell you my experience in this regard.
During the heavy rains in the month of August (Mboya Njoke) when there was no palm oil for home use I managed to harvest and bring home a cone of palm nuts that were in the early stage of decomposition. Not one of my wives welcomed me; none of them said she was grateful for the palm nuts. Instead my wives concentrated on condemning the nuts. They continued to condemn the nuts even when they were in the course of consuming soup that they had prepared from the nuts.
This is the baffling fate of wove wo mbiya – condemned continuously, yet consumed. This is how/what the World is. This is why I continue to ignore the ungratefulness of my wives and continue to harvest palm nuts for use in my home.
nanu ndi ese eveli !
wove wo mbiya va-laa,
va ve-nye !
Oma nanu.
Lexicon:
Woli-nyama = all animals; the Animal World.
wove = bad; ugly; wicked.
mbiya = palm nuts.
wove wo mbiya = palm nuts at an early stage of decomposition.
va-laa = they eat,
va ve-nye = they condemn.
mwai = my friend.
nyongo = secret societies that are said to assist their members to become materially wealthy.
meyoli = ropes.
meyoli me nyongo = mystery ropes that members of Nyongo societies are said to use in tying and strangulating their victims.
Oma nanu.
Imba
Mola Mbua Ndoko
P.o Box 38 Buea, South West Province
Cameroon, West/Africa.
Email:[email protected]
Website: http://www.mbuandoko.com
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